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Garcia shares early lead in wet Shanghai

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-06 15:13

SHANGHAI - Spain's Sergio Garcia cut a swathe through the Shanghai drizzle to take a share of the early first round lead on five under par at the $5 million HSBC Champions on Thursday.

Sergio Garcia of Spain smiles on the 17th hole during the third round at the Volvo Masters golf tournament in Sotogrande, southern Spain November 2, 2008. [Agencies]

The 28-year-old, who could move to second in the world with the right result this weekend, bagged a trio of birdies after the turn to share the lead with American Anthony Kim, Swede Henrik Stenson, Zimbabwe's Marc Cayeaux and Thai Prayad Marksaeng.

American Phil Mickelson, the current world number two who is defending his title at the Sheshan International, was two shots off the pace at three under after his front nine.

The lefthander eagled the par five second -- as did Kim, Stenson and Cayeaux -- but a bogey at the eighth knocked him off the leaderboard as the drizzle turned to rain.

Swede Robert Karlsson was presented with the Harry Vardon Trophy for winning the 2008 European Order of Merit before he teed off to start the 2009 season -- the first year of the lucrative "Race to Dubai". He was two-under through 15 holes.

British Open and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington was one-under after dropping a shot at the 10th, while the other man in the field to have picked up a major this year, South African US Masters champion Trevor Immelman, was level par at the turn.

The Champions, which is aiming to become Asia's major, is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, the PGA Tour of Australasia, South Africa's Sunshine Tour and the China Golf Association.